CVE-2026-33414
PowerShell Command Injection in Podman HyperV Backend Enables SYSTEM Execution
Publication date: 2026-04-14
Last updated on: 2026-04-23
Assigner: GitHub, Inc.
Description
Description
CVSS Scores
EPSS Scores
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Meta Information
Affected Vendors & Products
| Vendor | Product | Version / Range |
|---|---|---|
| podman_project | podman | From 4.8.0 (inc) to 5.8.2 (exc) |
Helpful Resources
Exploitability
| CWE ID | Description |
|---|---|
| CWE-78 | The product constructs all or part of an OS command using externally-influenced input from an upstream component, but it does not neutralize or incorrectly neutralizes special elements that could modify the intended OS command when it is sent to a downstream component. |
Attack-Flow Graph
AI Powered Q&A
Can you explain this vulnerability to me?
This vulnerability exists in Podman versions 4.8.0 through 5.8.1 within the HyperV machine backend. It is a command injection flaw caused by inserting the VM image path into a PowerShell double-quoted string without proper sanitization. Because PowerShell evaluates subexpressions inside double-quoted strings, an attacker who controls the VM image path via a crafted machine name or image directory can inject and execute arbitrary PowerShell commands.
On typical Windows systems, this leads to SYSTEM-level code execution since the Podman process runs with high privileges. This vulnerability only affects Windows because the vulnerable code is exclusive to the HyperV backend. The issue was fixed in Podman version 5.8.2.
How can this vulnerability impact me? :
If exploited, this vulnerability allows an attacker to execute arbitrary PowerShell commands with SYSTEM-level privileges on a Windows machine running the affected Podman versions. This can lead to full system compromise, unauthorized access, data theft, or disruption of services.
What immediate steps should I take to mitigate this vulnerability?
To mitigate this vulnerability, upgrade Podman to version 5.8.2 or later, where the issue has been patched.
Avoid using untrusted or crafted machine names or image directories that could control the VM image path in the HyperV backend.